Wellbores are drilled into the earth for a variety of purposes including tapping into hydrocarbon bearing formations to extract the hydrocarbons for use as fuel, lubricants, chemical production, and other purposes. Hydrocarbon producing wells can be stimulated using fracturing treatments. In a typical hydraulic fracturing treatment, a fracturing fluid is pumped through a wellbore and into a subterranean formation producing zone at a rate and pressure such that one or more fractures are formed or extended into the zone.
Hydraulic fracturing treatments may produce primary fractures in the near field around the well bore, as well as induced, dendritic fractures (also known as “microfractures”) in the far field extending from the primary fractures. These induced, dendritic fractures are generally formed at the tip and edges of the primary fractures, and extend outwardly in a branching tree like manner from the primary fractures, creating a complex fracture network. The complex fracture network encompasses the primary fracture and any and all branching fractures (e.g., secondary branch fractures, tertiary branch fractures, etc.), regardless of their size, man-made or otherwise, within a subterranean formation that are in fluid communication with the wellbore. Because secondary dendritic fractures can extend transversely to the trajectory of the primary fractures, they reach and link natural fractures both in and adjacent to the trajectory of the primary fractures. As such, secondary fractures reach a larger portion of the naturally occurring fracture network, and link the natural fractures back to the primary fractures and the wellbore. Accordingly, communication between the primary fracture and the remainder of the corresponding complex fracture network may be an important factor in maximizing production from the formation.
The fracturing fluid may also function as a carrier fluid that transports solids to a target area. For example, particulate solids, also known as “proppant particulates,” “proppants,” or “particulates,” may be suspended in a portion of the fracturing fluid and transported to a fracture. The suspended particulates are deposited in the fractures so as to prevent the fractures from fully closing once the hydraulic pressure is removed. By keeping the fractures from fully closing, the proppant particulates aid in forming conductive channels through which produced hydrocarbons can readily flow. Accordingly, proppant particulates hold the complex fracture network open, thereby maintaining the ability for hydrocarbons to flow through the complex fracture network to ultimately be produced at the surface.